Princess Elizabeth build...

[mjt60a]

*The next part probably shouldn't be attempted at home - use a butane blowlamp in the back garden - but this is how I did it*
Now the fun part - best not to let your wife/mother/housekeeper see this!
apply plumbers flux about 1/4 inch of the prepared end of the small tube, hold it in a welding glove ...... and light the gas cooker. Heat the end of the tube until the flux melts then raise it above the flame and apply plumbers solder to it, rotate the tube until it's coated all around but try not to get too much solder on it (if it forms a bead inside the tube you have to start again) let it cool and apply more flux.
Then using the other welding glove, hold both tubes over the heat until the solder melts and gently insert the small tube 1/4 inch into the larger one, let it cool a bit before running it under cold water. Turn the gas off for now and saw through the thin tube leaving 1/4 inch of it inside the large one, clean up both sawn ends.    

[mjt60a]

Decide how long the shaft tubes must be, this depends on what type of wheels are to be fitted - ones like on tipstaff/phantom wont need to project outside the hull more than a couple of mm, with the ones that I make, the floats extend past the frames about 10-15mm so will need more to prevent the floats touching the hull. Cut the thick tube to length and clean it up, repeat the process to fit a 1/4 inch of thin tube into the other end, then make a second shaft tube.
For the oil tubes I cut short lengths of the outer tube and filed them to fit against the curved surface of the shaft tube then filed a small hole in the shaft tube where the oiler will go, filed a small cut in the top of the oiler and attached it with copper wire (telephone cable conductor) in place. Then I applied some flux, heated it up and applied solder (keep it horizontal so the bearings don't fall out), then cooled it and cleaned all the flux and solder beads off the cooker!
After removing the wire, filing the excess solder and filing the top of the oiler flat again they're complete! 

[mjt60a]

Fit them in the model with the shaft in place (ok, put them in first then put the shaft through) They can be glued in with araldite but make sure all the flux residue is removed or it might not stick properly - and don't get any in the ends!
In that last picture is the motor/gearbox unit I'm thinking of using....

[Eddy Matthews]

A very neat job on the paddleshaft bearings Mick....

Whenever I solder tubes together, after applying flux to the joint and sliding the tubes together, I cut a short length of solder - Just long enough to wrap tightly around the smaller tube (like a wedding ring on a finger) - Then apply heat with a small blowtorch and the solder melts and flows into the joint. Importantly it seems to give exactly the right amount of solder, so no excess to clean up and the joint is soldered neatly all around.

It's basically a technique used by boiler makers when they solder fittings into a boiler.

Regards
Eddy

[mjt60a]

That would be a better way but the solder I have is very thick, I suppose I could have tried with 'electronics' solder....
...incidentally, when doing the short lengths of shaft tube, ie. fitting the second bearing and the oil tube, I found the gloves weren't quite enough protection and had to hold the short tube with pliers...

[mjt60a]

Now, I have the shaft tubes in place and the shaft turns freely in them while it's in one piece though I intend to have two short lengths independently driven. I'd like to paint it now before fitting the sponsons permanently so I need to drill the portholes next.... but first I need to make them!
'Real' portholes appear to be fixed in place by bolts through a flange around the outside, (and I'm just guessing about this part...) those fitted on the superstructure usually (not always!) have this flange on the outside where it can be seen - sometimes it's polished brass, more often it's painted the same colour as the 'wall' it's on. Those fitted in the hull usually (again, not always) have the flange inside so you only see the bolts and a circular frame around the glass.
first pic is on Queen Mary, the circular frame does project out of the hull but this is very high above water and not likely to be hit by anything, second is on St Katherine and third on HMS Wellington, both are closer to the waterline. Forth is on a tug and is on the 'superstructure' if you can call it that, and is above deck and at least a foot inboard from the edge of the hull... no chance of hitting anything. I don't have a picture but portholes on HMS President do in fact have the flange on the outside of the hull, even those just above the waterline, and on Tattershall Castles sponsons, they had the flange inside... (so as I said, it's not always the way I made out....)

[mjt60a]

Model portholes I saw in the model shop (glazed ones, that is, that won't leak) all seem to have a frame, quarter circular in cross-section that goes on the outside of the hull, many of the pleasure boats on the thames have this type and it would be easier to seal it to the hull (pic 1) but it doesn't give the effect I want, so I'm going to make my own... (pic 2)   

[mjt60a]

I selected a length of brass tube from the model shop and cut it into suitable short lengths, this can be done with a hacksaw, cutting disc (in a 'dremmel' type drill) or with a very small tube cutter - which is what I used. Once both ends of each piece are cleaned up they are placed on a tray cut from a polycarbonate plastic material. Most 'blister packs' are made from this, billing boats stanchions, hi-fi/video cables... I actually used the containers for morrisons apple turnovers, just do a quick test to see the resin doesn't stick to it or disolve it!
I use Trylon EM400PA shallowcast resin as it's designed to set in small quantities, ordinary casting resin doesn't seem to set properly, I think you need a minimum depth/mass of the stuff for the chemical reaction to take place... mix a small quantity in a suitable container and add a drip of it to each porthole to seal it to the tray - a mcdonalds coffee stirrer is ideal for this!   

[mjt60a]

...once it has begun to set (it has a jelly-like consistency - test the remains in the mixing container, not the portholes!) you can fill up to near the top with newly mixed resin. while that is setting cut enough small pieces of the polycarbonate material to cover each of the portholes. Mix another small amount of resin and fill the portholes to a 'dome' shape and allow time for the air bubbles to rise to the surface and dissipate, then, while the resin is still liquid, press a piece of polycarbonate onto each porthole, displacing the excess resin. and allow to set fully (I gave it two days but it depends on the temperature) before peeling off the polycarbonate and removing from the tray. You should have lengths of brass tube filled with clear resin and with bits of resin stuck to the sides...

[mjt60a]

...the excess can be cut away with a craft knife and the outside sanded to remove it all and give a rough(ish) clean surface for the adhesive to stick to. Fitted into the hull they look quite good, I thought. The mounting bolts can be simulated by drilling holes as small as possible around the porthole, gluing in pieces of wire, styrene rod (very thin) or, depending on the scale, model rail track pins. The model shown is 1/32 and they look a little too big to me (once the hull is primer'd and painted) so on a 1/48th model I don't think I'll even try!

[mjt60a]

To get the position of the holes I first took a compass (for drawing circles, that is, not finding directions!) placed the hull on a flat, level surface and holding the compass upright with the pointed end on the surface, lightly drew the intended waterline onto the hull. Then with the point resting on the bulwark, drew the main deck level. Then I reset the compass to draw a line halfway between the two starting under the sponsons. Toward the bow and stern, the two lines first drawn diverge somewhat so the portholes get higher above the waterline, and that is correct looking at pictures of the real ship... but unfortunately, the frame inside is thicker there so I had to make the last few a bit lower than they should be, they are half-way between main deck and the waterline (I should have planned that a bit better at the early stages!)
...I don't know the horizontal position of, or the number of portholes so decided that I'd have ten equally spaced going forward and starting under the side doors, and eight going aft, again starting under the doors - any that are under the sponsons won't really show anyhow and ten / eight looks about right to me...
I marked the positions and drilled them with a 1mm drill then, looking along the hull, check if any look too high or low....they looked OK so I went on and drilled them to close to the required diameter. Checking again one or two now do look out of line but as I file them to the necessary size, I can correct that. Keep checking with the scrap of brass from making the portholes until it's a 'good' fit.  

[mjt60a]

Once all the holes are drilled I decided to stick a few details on the hull. I cut out the side doors from 0.25mm styrene and glued them on with araldite, then cut strips of 0.25mm to represent hinges and glued them on with liquid styrene cement. Then glued a strip of 1mm x 2mm styrene all round the top of the bulwark except where the side doors are and the sponsons will go. Then filed the 'raised bit' at the bow to the correct shape and with the fairlead-thing in it. I also plugged the ends of the shaft tube with blu-tack to keep paint out. Now the hull is ready to paint, first a final coat of red primer (which will be visible below the waterline - but coated with clear matt-or-satin lacquer) then mask it up below the waterline and spray black. I took the precaution of adding a strip of masking tape to the area where the sponsons will be as I don't want to glue them onto the paint but onto the GRP... no pictures of any of this, just the end result... with the sponsons and most of the superstructure done, but more about that next update  

[mjt60a]

...anyone spot the 'deliberate' mistake? I did only when I'd started spraying....I forgot to fit the rudder tube!    So I drilled the hole, filed it to a good fit and epoxied a length of tube (the one used for the paddle-shaft bearings) into the hole....Then sprayed some primer into the lid of the paint can and brushed it on to blend in the rudder tube and the araldite around it...then continued with the black painted area.

[mjt60a]

Now, before fitting the sponsons I thought it'd be easier to put the details on them first... the portholes are the same as the hull ones but these have the mounting flange visible on the outside. To make it I found a suitable size piece of brass tube (about 2 - 3 mm larger diameter than the one used to make the portholes and filed the end all round the outside to a sharp(ish) edge. Then I took part of the sheet of 0.25mm styrene sheet and drew a straight line on it and using a compass, some circles just larger than the brass tube, then several lines at 90 degrees to the first line and some at 45 degrees, through the centres of the circles (the result looks a bit like an 8 spoked wheel - but the photos came out very blurred) Then, with the styrene on a soft surface (like a piece of old carpet) ans as carefully as possible, place the brass tube in the circle and press down until it cuts out a disc of styrene with (hopefully) the hole made by the compass in the centre.

[mjt60a]

Next, on a bit of scrap wood and using something thin and not too sharp (the smallest 'phillips type' screwdriver from a watchmakers set would probably work - but I used some old scissors that have got quite blunt over the years) press the 'bolts' in using the pencil lines as a guide to get them equally spaced. they should be near enough to the outside edge so they'll still be there when the portholes are drilled out.
These are fitted to the sponsons/superstructure before drilling and filing the holes out. To ensure they're in the right place, I marked the positions on the sponsons (not easy with black styrene but I put masking tape on it to draw on) and drill tiny holes at the centres. Then take the tape off, put a bit of wire through the hole in the disc and coat with liquid styrene. Put the wire through the hole in the sponson and slide the disc down the wire. Ensure two bolts at the top are parallel with the top edge before pressing the disc hard against the sponson wall. Once set, the holes can be made for the porthole.